Best Beginner Guitar – And Where to Buy It

Confused about your first guitar? You're not alone.

So you're looking for the best beginner guitar. In fact, it could be your first guitar.

These are exciting times! You can look forward to hanging out in guitar shops and trying out the models you really fancy, knowing that you will soon be the proud owner of a beautiful piece.

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I would recommend starting on an electric guitar because it's so much easier on the fingers.

Here are some tips.

Don't hold back in the guitar shop. Don't be afraid to ask if you can try everything that catches your eye. Two reasons for this:

1. That's what the staff are there for. They should be more than happy to let you try out guitars. Just don't linger there all day.
2. It gives you a chance to compare and contrast the quality and feel of different styles and models. For example, compare the weight of a big old jazz guitar with that of a Fender Stratocaster. This all adds to your guitar education and knowledge.

Indulge yourself. Expose yourself to all the different types before committing your hard earned pennies.

First, It's Wise To Ask Yourself Some Tough Questions

But wait just a minute! Hold on there! You need to have a plan in your head before heading down to the guitar shop. Why? Because I can almost guarantee that when you get there, you will be seduced by guitars that you hadn't even thought about.

And if there's one thing you want to avoid - it's buying an expensive guitar in the heat of passion.

As a guide, here are 5 questions you should at least think about before buying a guitar.

• How much am I going to spend? Decide your upper limit. You're going to be seeing all sorts of sexy guitars that will cost a fortune and you don't want to get carried away. Believe me that £1000 guitar won't look half as sexy when you have to eat tuna pasta for the 10th day in a row because you blew a whole years budget on it. Decide how committed you're going to be. Will you still be playing it this time next year?
• Define your level of commitment. Are you going to be studying guitar seriously for the next 3 years? If so, maybe that £1000 guitar is going to be a good investment. But be honest. Most people are not that dedicated and don't worry if you're not. It's normal and healthy not to be obsessed. So maybe going for a good all round guitar like a Stratocaster copy or a Telecaster copy for less than £500 would probably be your best bet.
• Should I buy it off the internet? If you know exactly what model and colour you want, then by all means purchase from a reputable online store like Thomann in Europe or even Amazon in the US. But please make sure you've tried out the model in a shop beforehand. I've made a few online purchases based on looks and reading online reviews and most of them have ended up on eBay. You'll probably get a cheaper price on the internet. If you're in doubt at all, go to the guitar shop.
• Do I want a new guitar or a second-hand guitar? You can get some pretty good second hand bargains on sites like eBay and even sometimes in your local newspaper. I prefer not to buy from local newspapers because it usually means treking across town to see a guitar that's been badly describe in the paper or is terribly over-priced. I would only advise buying a second hand guitar if it's a vintage guitar. Why? Because these days the quality and price of new budget guitars is so good that it's pretty hard to buy a really rubbish guitar like you could 10 years ago.
• Should I haggle? Yes. If you do find yourself thinking the price is too high (even in a guitar shop) don't be afraid to haggle. The secret is to be prepared to walk away. If it's not a guitar you really really want and will never get elsewhere then you have nothing to lose. After they have stated their price (or there's a price tag on it) offer them 50% less. If they shake their head and say no just say thank you, have a nice day and leave. More often than not they'll stop you and offer you a discount. It won't be 50% but that's ok. That was just your starting bid.

How Much Should I Spend?

For a good basic acoustic to learn on, plan to spend around £200 (about $300). For an electric, it'll be a little less - more like £150 (about $250). You will find cheaper and these are sometimes just as good - that's why you're trying them all out isn't it? Enjoy the process but keep a budget in mind!

The Best Guitar To Learn On

There are 3 tests for determining the best guitar to learn on.

1. Is it playable? What does that mean? It means you can press the strings down easily without hurting your fingers. Yes, your fingers will start to hurt when you start practicing properly but if you're in a shop testing a guitar, it shouldn't be sore.
2. Intonation? What does that mean? It means will it stay in tune. And it's important. To test it put your finger lightly above the 12th fret, pluck it, take it off then play the string open. The 2 pitches should be exactly the same. Do this on all the strings especially the 3rd and 6th.
3. Does it look good. I don't need to tell you this but you'll be much happier with your guitar if you can admire it's looks. And remember, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. One man's ugly guitar is another man's pride and joy.